


Nomad Odyssey: Part 2 (Epsilon Halo)

by Joester264



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Mass Effect Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Asari Characters, Brutes | Jiralhanae - Freeform, Cerberus - Freeform, Crossover, Elites | Sangheili - Freeform, F/M, Foreunner, Halo - Freeform, Human-Covenant War, Mjolnir - Freeform, Motherhood, ODST Orbital Drop Shock Trooper(s), Oni, Quarians, SPARTAN-III, Skirmishers, Space Battles, Turians, UNSC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26909533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joester264/pseuds/Joester264
Summary: With the identity of the manaphy species known, Fireteam Saber and the rest of the Nomad team race towards Epsilon Halo. However, they are not the only ones there. The crew finds themselves pitched in an all-out siege of the turian defenses by a faction known as the Death Covenant. With the help of a UNSC science team and a turian ranger, Versio must lead her team to find the temple of Samiya, where the path to every piece of Forerunner technology can be unlocked.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

I’ve been caught and taken prisoner before. I was used to being bound in chains or cuffs. Of all the times I’d been captured, it was by batarian slavers looking for a big score. The thing was, being captured was the only way to destroy the slaver rings effectively, and there was always a way out.  
I woke up strapped to an examination table with a piercing overhead light above. My head was pounding, everything felt foggy and distorted. I was stripped of my armor and tech suit, and there were medical staff all around, mumbling to each other about me.  
“The Spartan is reacting to outside stimuli.”  
“Preparing another dose of sedatives.”  
In a weird sort of way, this felt like deja vu. When I was twelve, around three-hundred other kids and I received augmentations that turned us into Spartans. Doctors in white lab coats and masks stood over me, talking over emergency procedures if anything wrong were to happen during the process.  
The medical staff turned their heads towards the end of the room, and visibly grew tense. One of them stepped out of my frame of vision, talking to someone new.  
“Agent Shatter, you can’t be in here. We’re about to perform...”  
“Direct orders from The Illusive Man, the Spartan is now in my custody.”  
That voice sounded oddly familiar, like I had recently heard it. It belonged to a woman, whose tone was sophisticated yet commanding. She stepped into my line of sight, and I was able to get a good look at her.  
She was a woman of dark complexion, having smoothed features, save it for a small scar over her right cheek. Her hair was dyed crimson in the middle, like a racing stripe, and tied in a bun. She smirked at me, patting my cheek.  
One of the doctors tried protesting, stating that Shatter was interfering with their work.  
“Your CO is receiving new orders,” she said sternly, “now stop acting like a whining child. Get the Spartan onto a gurney, and make sure he’s properly restrained.”  
Heavy metal cuffs were placed over my wrists and ankles, then I felt two sets of hands grab me. I was lifted up for a moment, now looking up at a metal ceiling, then was plopped back down onto the gurney while thick straps were placed over my body to make sure I couldn’t move. Shatter stepped into my view once again, then chuckled menacingly.  
“Spartan-264 is on the move to interrogation,” a rough voice said.  
I was then wheeled out of what I assumed was a surgery room and down a cold hallway. There were five pairs of footsteps, which probably belonged to guards escorting me and Shatter. My heartbeat was steady, for I knew how to handle any kind of torture. My body could endure a lot of pain before it would start to give in. Even if Cerberus could inflict the maximum amount of suffering, my lips would not utter a single word. I’ve faced more intimidating foes than a sadistic Cerberus interrogator.  
Mere minutes after I was wheeled out of surgery, I was placed in a dark lit room. Two Centurions aimed their assault rifles at my head as I was uncuffed, only to have my arms and legs splayed out like an ‘X’ and then hung on a wall. Shatter stood at the room’s entrance with a tall and armored man, whose face was obscured by a helmet. Once the guards finished securing me, they peeled off and exited. Instantly, her partner, Dropkick, who nearly killed me on the Constantinople, appeared at her other side. His eyes were burning with hatred as he stared at me. His mouth was covered by a metal mask, which made him look more like a machine than a human.  
“Thank you, Deimos,” Shatter said to the armored man, “but my comrade and I can handle it from here.”  
“Respectfully,” he said, “I’d like to remain here, just in case he breaks free.”  
“Oh, I know you would. But it’s best if we are alone with the Spartan. We tend to get better results on our own. And besides, he wouldn’t dare try and break free. If he did, the others would be punished.”  
That was clear enough---try to escape, and we’ll kill Sam, Versio, T’Soni, and May. I couldn’t let others suffer because of what I did. If any of them were in my position, they would do the same.  
Deimos nodded, though it was obvious he wasn’t thrilled at the idea, and walked off while Shatter and Dropkick stepped into the room, the door closing behind them. It was now just the three of us, and there was a long period of silence as we just stared at each other. It seemed like minutes ticked by before Shatter broke the silence, getting straight to the point.  
She motioned her partner with a wave of her hand, and Dropkick activated one of his omni-blades. He walked up to me, placed the blade on my chest, then slowly worked it down to my abdomen. He didn’t place much force behind it; he wasn’t intending to kill me. Blood started to slide down, but I did not wince or give any reaction to the agents before me. It was going to take more than a little bit of blood for me to talk.  
“The girl who hatched the manaphy,” Shatter said, “the so-called ‘mother’ isn’t being cooperative with us. We told her if she didn’t talk, we’d start punishing those with her. So, here we are. In fact, she’s watching this happening right now.”  
My thoughts went to May, on how scared she must’ve been. She was taken hostage and nearly killed by a Cerberus officer once, so she knew they weren’t above getting dirty.  
“Why are you interrogating her,” I managed to say in a raspy whisper, “she’s just a kid. She doesn’t have anything you can use.”  
“Oh, really? We know she’s been aboard a UNSC Prowler for nearly two months. She’s on a first-name basis with T’Soni and Spartan B602. And unlike your comrades, she doesn’t have the strength to withstand our interrogation. She’s just a civilian. If she has anything useful information, we’ll get it out of her.”  
Shatter looked up to the corner where the ceiling met the wall, obviously at a camera that showed May what was going on.  
“Tell us where the Forerunner archive is or your friend here will pay for your defiance.”  
“I don’t know,” May cried over an intercom, “please, you have to believe me!”  
Shatter turned to Dropkick, giving him a nod, signaling him to start hurting me. His omni-blade switched out into a hard, two-pronged device. Electricity flickered off the end of it.  
“Wrong answer,” Shatter said, almost in a sing-songy tune.  
Dropkick jabbed me in the stomach with the prod, and I let out a short yell as the electricity coursed through me. Every muscle in my body contracted, and there was an intense burning where the prod was. It felt like burning sand. After a couple of seconds, the prod moved away, and could hear May crying over the comm.  
“Please, stop!”  
“Do it again,” Shatter ordered, “amp up the voltage.”  
The prod made contact with my body again, and the pain was more intense. My whole body, to the last fiber, tensed up as I was electrically shocked for a longer period of time.  
“I don’t know where the Archive is,” May bawled, “I swear!”  
“She’s telling the truth,” I gasped, but received a powerful left hook to the jaw. They didn’t want me to talk. The taste of copper filled my mouth, and blood started to drip from my lips.  
“Speak out of turn again,” Dropkick uttered, “and I’ll finish what we started back on that freighter.”  
I looked that sadistic jackhole square in the eye, pressed my lips together, and blew out a puff of air. Some of my blood flicked onto his face, causing him to recoil a little. He let out a furious shout and switched back to his omni-blade, ready to gut me like a fish, but Shatter stopped him before he could bring down his stroke.  
“Agent, stand down! He’s not to be terminated.”  
Dropkick turned towards her, who was visibly angry. Whether Dropkick liked it or not, Shatter was the one who called the shots between the two of them. Dropkick deactivated the blade and angrily yelled at Shatter.  
“Why? Why do you want him alive? He’s too dangerous to be kept alive.”  
“If our methods go wrong with the others, he’ll tell us what we need to know.”  
Shatter turned towards the camera, and resumed interrogating May. She took a more cynical tone when speaking to her. Shatter could sense May would break at any moment. All the Cerberus Agent had to do was keep applying pressure.  
“Where. Is. The Archive?”  
There was a short pause on May’s end. But when she did speak, it was of small confidence.  
“If you’re not going to kill him, then you don’t have leverage on me.”  
Shatter pondered that for a moment, then rolled her eyes and sighed.  
“Actually, I changed my mind, Agent. We’ll have B602 on reserve. Kill B264.”  
Dropkick once again activated his blade, leaned back, but May’s screaming stopped him.  
“NO! I’ll tell you!”  
I craned my head towards the corner. I wouldn’t let her jeopardize millions of lives for mine.  
“May---don’t!”  
May began to summarize where we had been, what we had done, and what we were going to do next. She wasn’t specifically detailed, but the info was enough for Shatter and Dropkick to get an understanding of. I had to do something to stop May from revealing our plans for Epsilon Halo, or this was all over. I tried blurting something out but was stopped by a punch in the gut. The air escaped out of my lungs and started to gasp when May uttered what Shatter wanted to hear.  
"It's at a place called Epsilon Halo."  
Shatter took in a swift breath through her nostrils, and dropped her hands from behind her back. Dropkick looked at her, stunned, but also satisfied with the success of the interrogation.  
"Epsilon Halo?"  
"That's where the turian 47th Fleet is posted. That won't be easy to get past, unless..."  
Shatter's eyes landed on me, and a smile crept across her lips.  
"Oh, B264. I forgot you were there. It's a pity, really; you deserved a better death."  
The two Agents started to leave the room, and over the intercom, they could hear May crying.  
"Cerberus thanks you for your cooperation," Shatter said, then turned back towards the door.  
"Deimos: execute Spartan B264."  
May went hysterical over the radio, screaming bloody murder, piercing the eardrums.  
"No! You can't! I told you everything! You can't kill..."  
Her mic was cut, leaving me in silence as Dropkick and Shatter exited the room to pursue their mission further. A figure stepped into the doorway, silhouetted by the light outside. He drew a sidearm, a non-standard issue revolver, pulled the hammer back, making a grim click.  
Deimos, a man of large stature, was encased in gold and red armor, showing wear and tear. He stepped into the room, being followed by two lightly armored security personnel. The door closed, and I was ready to accept my fate.  
"Cut audio and visual," Deimos gravely ordered, and the guards complied. A few moments on their omni-tools, one of them confirmed that the cameras were off.  
Deimos stepped up to me so that we were face to face. I couldn't see behind his visor, but it didn't really much matter to me.  
"Never thought I'd see you again," Deimos said, out of the blue, "it's a small galaxy, isn't it?"  
"I've never seen you until today," I spat, "now are you going to waste my time, or are you going to get on with it?"  
“Oh, right.”  
Unexpectedly, Deimos swiveled around and shot the security guards in the head with quick timing. I hung there, dumbfounded, and confused about what was going on. My executioner was now the one saving me. Deimos holstered his revolver and worked on releasing me from the wall.  
“Who are you?”  
Deimos faced me again and depolarized his visor. He had stubble across his jaw, golden eyes, and a scar across his lips. At first, I didn’t recognize anything about him.  
“Sierra B218,” he said.  
B218. The name associated with that serial number popped into my head, and I started to smile. This Spartan was in Beta Company, the Spartan-III group that I was trained in, along with Sam, Paul, and Bryn. He was one of the lucky few that didn’t participate in Operation: Torpedo that got the rest of the Betas killed. A year or two ago, he was listed Missing In Action during the Siege of New Pelos, which meant the rest of us wrote him off as dead. I was with a ghost.  
“Alexios.”


	2. Chapter 2

Alexios finished releasing me from my restraints in no time. He searched the bodies of his guards and tossed me a Tempest submachine gun. I had so many questions, but they would have to wait. Later, I would learn that we were onboard a Cerberus cruiser, the Tithous, and on our way to Cronus Station. But for now, I listened to Alexios’ next plan.  
“I’ve got the ship’s mech force at my command: Rampart-class. I’ve reversed their IFFs; they’ll provide us a nice distraction while we free the others.”  
“And where are they?”  
“Shatter had Sam, Commander Versio, T’Soni, and the civilian locked up in different parts of the ship,” Alexios said to me, “so we’re going to have to split up. I know where you MJOLNIR is. It’s down the hall, to the left.”  
“Putting it on is going to be impossible without an armor station,” I said, discouraged about Alexios’ idea.  
“How do you think Cerberus got it off? The station’s in the same room. I had it prepped while you were being interrogated and marked on your HUD where to find Sam and the civilian. I’ll free T’Soni and Versio. They’ve still got Sam in his MJOLNIR, but on a restraint.”  
“What about Man---I mean the manaphy? Where are they keeping it?”  
“Near the girl in an adjacent cell with two commandos. They won’t be expecting you. Once you’ve got them, head to the hangar. I’ve got a Kodiak ready for launch. We’ll head to the closest UNSC post.”  
“Which is?”  
“If I’m right, the Sigma Octanus system.”  
“Solid copy.”  
Alexios moved to the door, examined his revolver, and checked one last time to make sure I was ready. Once that door opened, there would be no turning back. Every Rampart was going to turn their guns on the crew, giving us the cover we would need to escape. I hoped the mechs could hold their own against the guards. This was the only chance to slip away from Cerberus’ grasp and back to the UNSC.  
I readied my weapon, taking a position by the door. Alexios took out a small fob from a compartment in his armor and gave it a press. Then came the staccato of shotguns going off in the halls, and the screams of the crew as they were gunned down. Shouts were muffled, but I could hear someone trying to get everybody out, but he was cut off from a shotgun blast.  
“You’re certain the mechs aren’t going to target us?”  
"We can handle a few of those over-designed rust buckets. Now, you ready to get off of the Tithous or what?"  
With less than a second we swiftly entered the hall, heading directly to the area where my armor was being held. Deafening shots of M-23's and M-96's masked our approach. The crew lay slaughtered beneath our feet, cut down by their own forces.  
"This is it," Alexios said, typing a passcode into a small console beside the door in front of him, "get in there, Joe. I'll cover you."  
Once it opened, I dashed inside the room. Alexios sealed me in, making sure I would be protected.  
In the middle of the room stood an armor-station, the exact model used on the UNSC Infinity. I was curious about how Cerberus was able to get this kind of equipment, but I knew I wouldn't like the answer. Pieces of my armor were being held in the arms, and my tech suit was laid on a table next to it. I hurried and slipped it on, just as Alexios' revolver started going off. Once I had my tech suit, I hopped right into the armor station. The arms went right to work placing the pieces onto my body: chest, legs, arms, feet, hands, then finally my helmet. Once everything was back into place, I was ready to crack some skulls. Already on my HUD were waypoints to Sam and May's locations. All that stood against me was enemy troopers being targeted by their own mechs. I was more than eager to get back into the fight.

Alexios had been busy while I got suited up. Around him were broken mechs, who still perceived him to be a part of Cerberus. Perhaps he kept it that way on purpose so no one would get suspicious. Then again, escorting a prisoner to an off-limits area was more than enough to raise more than a few eyebrows. Either way, we'd be swarmed with hostiles if we didn't keep it moving.  
Once I stepped back into the hallway, almost tripping on a mech's leg, Alexios and I split up to rescue the others. Once everyone was rounded up, we would meet in the hangar and get the hell off this ship. Sam, May, and Mani were holed up in holding cells below me. Almost sprinting down the corridors and occasionally putting a hole through a surviving crew's head, I made it to the lower levels of the ship without getting into too much trouble. The security officer who guarded the entrance to the cells was killed, and the door looked like it had been torn open---the panels being bent to unrepairable directions.  
I wedged my way in and found more dead security officers, two destroyed mechs, and the body of a commando. That meant one other was possibly still around.  
I started peering inside each cell, trying to find the recognizable armor of Sam, the red bandana of May, or the tiny blue body of Mani.  
"Joe? That you?"  
Sam's voice came from the cell behind me. I spun around and found Sam laying down on the floor. His armor restraint had him spread-eagle, but Sam's helmet was beside him--allowing him to move his head freely. Sam let out a laugh.  
"Haha! How in the galaxy did you manage to break out?"  
I grabbed a keycard from one of the bodies, swiped it against the console next to Sam's cell, and the reinforced glass door slid open.  
"Had some help from Spartan-218."  
I pulled Sam's restraint off, and he pushed himself off the floor with a loud groan.  
"Alexios? He's still alive?"  
"Which cell is May's?" I asked, not wanting to waste any time talking. There wasn't exactly much time before Shatter would form a counter-attack. She and Dropkick were most likely holding their own against the Ramparts.  
Sam rolled his shoulders and loosened himself up, then grabbed his EOD helmet.  
"I've got a good guess---follow me."  
As he went into the hall, the other commando popped out from one of the open cells, firing an M-8 Avenger assault rifle. Sam dodged it, punched the commando hard in the stomach, and wrapped his arm around the neck.  
"Where is she?" Sam said in an out-of-character dark tone. The commando tried resisting, but Sam tightened his grip, making the guard choke.  
"Cell...C7..."  
"The manaphy. Where is it?"  
The commando refused to respond and resigned himself to a slow, painful death. Sam, being merciful, snapped his neck and let the Cerberus soldier flop onto the floor.  
"Alexios said it's nearby," I said, "come on."  
Sam reacted to something behind me.  
"Down!"  
On reflex, we both ducked, which saved me from getting impaled by a metal pipe.  
Standing at the doorway was Shatter and Dropkick. They were both armored but had taken some damage from the mechs. Shatter was bleeding from multiple cuts in her face while Dropkick clutched his wrist.  
"Well, isn't this precious," Shatter growled, "B264 came back for his friend and the little skank! I hope you weren't planning on taking the manaphy; it is now the property of Cerberus."  
Sam and I said nothing. Judging by their wounds, we had a good chance of putting them down now.  
"Mani's coming with us," I replied, "I suggest you go back the way you came."  
The entire deck shuddered beneath all of our feet. A virtual intelligence broadcasted a new warning.  
"Alert. Alert. Engineering has been compromised. Reactor overload is imminent. All personnel: evacuate. Please make your way to the nearest life-pod in a calm manner."  
Dropkick looked to Shatter, conflicted on whether or not to leave or fight. Shatter stood her ground, giving no attention to the chaos around us. Alexios spoke into my radio.  
"Joe, I've got T'Soni and Versio! You need to grab everyone else---now! We've got about twelve minutes before the reactor goes critical!"  
Without warning, Shatter launched herself at us, a sidearm in her hands. Before she could fire, Sam rammed into her with his shoulder, knocking the gun out of her hands and pinning her to the wall. Dropkick went in to assist, but that left him open for an attack. He activated the blade on his wounded wrist in order to cut-down Sam, but I grabbed him and twisted his wrist---hard. As Dropkick let out a pained yell, I brought an elbow down onto his wrist, feeling a satisfying snap. The blade deactivated, and I gave Dropkick a swift uppercut, making him reel to the floor. Sam finished giving Shatter a real thrashing. He pinned her to the wall and hammered away into her abdomen, then tossed her to the floor. Us two Spartans stood there, ready to finish the Cerberus agents off. Shatter made a struggling effort to stand up, wrapping an arm under her comrade to help him get on his feet again.  
The two of them stared us down, looking like they were ready to risk it all, but as the ship shuddered again, Dropkick started moving them through the exit.  
"No!" Shatter exclaimed, "I will not yield to them!"  
Dropkick ignored her and dragged her sorry ass out of the brig. However, since they knew where we were going, there was a high chance we'd see them again---eager for a rematch.  
As they slinked away, Sam headed deeper into the cell block.  
"They're this way. Come on!"  
We made a beeline, sprinting until Sam skidded to a halt in front of door C7, and peered inside.  
"Hey---HEY! Hang on tight, kid! We're busting you out!"  
I went to swipe the keycard, but Sam punched the console, which did make the cell door open.  
I went in first and found May having a breakdown---face in her palms. She was speaking a quarian prayer, but I couldn't understand a word.  
"May," I barked, "come on! We're leaving!"  
She removed her face from her palms and seemed shocked to see me standing there.  
“Joe?!”  
Sam shouted from down the hall, “I got Mani! Let’s go!”  
Wasting no time, I lifted May up and threw her over my shoulder, then led the way towards the hangar. The halls shook so hard that some panelings came tumbling down. Mani screamed for May and started begging Sam.  
"Sam! Throw me Mani!"  
"Later, May! This isn't a good time to throw!"  
The VI counted down the minutes till the core overloaded and reduced us all into particles. None of us--myself included--had come this far just to be vaporized. We were getting off this ship.  
“Alexios, we’re en route! Hold the shuttle!”  
Sam and I jumped down the stairwells, literally pushed through some Cerberus survivors, and sprinted the last couple meters. As we neared the hangar, a door was stuck---opened midway.  
May let out a panic-induced gasp, "We're trapped! We're dead!"  
I set May on her feet, "Like hell we are!"  
I wedged my arms into the gap and began to push the doors apart. With all my might, I pushed, groaning like a pained old-man until I created a gap large enough for May to get through, but I couldn't hold it forever. I maneuvered myself so she'd be able to fit and screamed at her.  
"GO!"  
May, with Mani in her arms, sprinted past me and continued onward. Sam squeezed through the gap and took my spot so that I could get through. I managed to press my way through, then Sam and I quickly followed May.  
Inside the hangar bay, we saw Versio stand outside a Kodiak, waving to us.  
"Move your asses! Go-go-go!"  
I wrapped an arm around May's waist, once again carrying her. We piled into the shuttle, and I breathlessly yelled at Alexios to take off.  
We shot out of the ship, moments before a large explosion destroyed the hangar. The Kodiak lurched, but we leveled out shortly, but then...  
"Cruiser just detonated," Alexios called out, "it might get a little bumpy!"  
'Bumby' was one of the most understated things I heard for quite some time. As the shockwaves hit us, everyone was thrown up and slammed back down to the deck. The shuttle spun out of control for a minute, then again regained stability.  
"Everyone okay?" Alexios called out from the cockpit. There was a moan from Sam and a grunt from Versio and Liara.  
"Mm-hm," replied May.  
"Mana!"  
Alexios nodded, "Good! Engaging FTL jump to Sigma Octanus in 3..2...1."  
The familiar feeling of vertigo came upon me and then disappeared as we traveled faster than light. Now, we were out of Cerberus’ hands. We wriggled free from their grasp without losing anybody. I started to think that maybe we had Chief-levels of luck on our side.  
“Hey, Joe,” Sam said to me, “you doing alright?”  
I noticed myself drifting to my left. Between the torture, the fight, and running through an exploding ship, my body was giving out on me. I hadn’t been this exhausted since Reach.  
“Yeah...” I mumbled, “just tired. Feeling drained.”  
Sam playfully slugged me in the shoulder, “Aw, come on, that was nothing! Remember back during New Harmony? We were on our feet for weeks!”  
“Heh.”  
Versio put herself in front of May and Mani, hanging her head. She reached out and stroked Mani’s antennae with care. Versio took in a deep breath and let it out with a long sigh.  
“Hey, kid. I know we...we haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye.”  
“Oh, there’s no need, Commander. I totally...”  
“No--listen. I need to get this out now. I’m sorry everyone, but you’re gonna have to listen to this.”  
“Not me,” Alexios said and shut the door to the cockpit. Versio looked May directly in the eye, even though she was uncomfortable doing it. Seeing the Commander being squeamish was weird...and pretty satisfying. Nice to know that she wasn’t ‘Ms. Perfect Commander’ anymore, but I didn’t say anything while she struggled to say what she wanted to say.  
“May, are you willing to come with us to Epsilon Halo?"  
"Yes! Of course!"  
"Now listen, May. Alexios has informed me that Cerberus knows where this Archive is. And Mani is the only one who can find it. There's a high chance we'll run into those agents again, and they will not show mercy. Whatever happens, you will never be the same again. Are you prepared for it?"  
May thought about it for a good couple of minutes. She thought about the danger, the risks, and life-changing experiences. She looked to Mani, who snuggled itself across her chest, and said, "Happy. Mama."  
Right at that moment, May Haruka made up her mind. She realized her purpose and looked Versio in the eye.  
"Yes, Commander. I am. Count me in."  
Versio attempted to hide it, but I swore I saw pride well up inside her. She then banged on the door to the cockpit.  
"What about you, Spartan-218? Are you willing to join us?"  
Alexios opened it up, and with a grin replied, "And have a chance of taking out those malakas Shatter and Dropkick? With pleasure, Commander!"  
Liara cleared her throat, making it clear she would want to come as well. Versio rolled her eyes and stated that the doctor could come too.  
“One question, Commander,” I asked, “but how exactly are we going to accomplish this? You said it yourself, the turians have got that place well guarded. I’m not sure if they’re going to let us fly down to the surface, even if it was to stop Cerberus. And we’re not exactly at full strength.”  
Versio stood up, taking her signature officer’s pose, and told us what we needed in order to get on to the surface of Epsilon.  
“I’m going to ask Admiral Kirkland for a task force. We are gonna need the marines of the 501st, the Apache, and anyone willing to lend a hand. Let me assure you this fight’s just getting started, and we’ve got a long way to go.”


	3. Chapter 3

The Sigma Octanus system was a welcome sight. Immediately after we exited FTL space, Alexios sent out a broadcast on all channels to authenticate we weren’t Cerberus. The frigate Stubborn Ox intercepted us, brought the shuttle aboard, and was able to confirm we were UNSC. The ship’s doctors treated us all for the injuries we received on the Titus and gave us a nice hot meal. Versio explained why we were in a Cerberus shuttle to Captain Edward Tance and asked permission to use the communication systems. Tance was a bit hesitant but granted the Commander's request.  
Meanwhile, Liara, Mani, and May took a long-needed rest in the ship's bunks. Sam and I waited outside the comm room for Versio. It took over three hours, but once she emerged, Versio looked energized.  
"So, I'm guessing we got our task force approved?"  
"Not quite, 264," she said, "but I was able to establish contact with the Nomad. They evaded Cerberus, and have been searching the entire cluster for us. Lexi's more than relieved that May and Mani are safe. The Nomad will arrive in the system within twenty-seven hours, and Admiral Kirkland has set us up to stay at the Diamond Beach resort until Rex and the others show up."  
"Well, hot damn," Sam said, "sounds like we've got time to kill. Unless you need us for something."  
"For once," Versio replied, "I'm opting for some downtime. We'll be safe, and I have a feeling May needs a breather. I'm no Lexi, but I'll do my best to help get her mind off of Cerberus."  
"Going soft, Commander?" I teased.  
The old Versio would've snapped at me, declared that I was unprofessional, and written me up. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Maybe, maybe not. I have a question to ask the both of you."  
We headed down the hall that led to the lift. Versio double checked to make sure we were out of earshot from the crew and presented us with a difficult question.  
"Should we allow May to come with us to Epsilon? I know that she wants to and understands the dangers, but I'm having second thoughts. We don't know what'll be waiting for us at Epsilon. You two know her better than I do; this is why I'm asking."  
I too had doubts about bringing May. She could handle the stealth and exploration and had experience keeping her head down when the shooting started. But this could play out in an all-out war. Would May be able to handle the constant death? I was about to share my skepticism, but then a strange feeling gripped my ribs, like a phantom hand stopping me. In my mind, I wanted what would be safest for May, but in that cliché moment, I knew she belonged with us. She was not just a civvie anymore; she had grown to become a valued member onboard the Nomad. From her cheerful and sweet attitude to her nurturing and supportive mothering, May Haruka needed to see this all the way through.  
"I believe it would be best if May comes along," I stated, "Mani's not going to take her absence lightly. Besides, May's tougher than she looks. She's adjusted living on a Prowler for the past two months. And she didn't instantly break when Shatter interrogated her. I've got a feeling May can do this."  
Versio didn't look comforted by my answer---in fact; she seemed more conflicted. Instead of bringing it up further, she changed the subject onto something less focused on May.  
"I realize that bringing a whole battalion of marines and ODSTs isn't what we need to succeed on Epsilon. We need to keep this op small. Otherwise, it'll get too complicated. Plus, showing up in a frigate to a turian installation would've gotten messy."  
"Seems about right," I agreed, "the turians don’t take kindly to uninvited guests."  
"I want to have permission to land on Epsilon, but it's getting to the point that we might have to use the Nomad's stealth systems. We don't have many options left. ONI will cover for us, but Admiral Osman's going to rap my knuckles over this. It could be worse, but not by much."  
We entered the lift, and as we were descending to the hangar, Versio had a small smile placed on her face.  
"I'm...I'm feeling alive. We're going on an unsanctioned op, but it's worth the risk. I haven't directly disobeyed an order in my entire career, but there's a first time for everything."  
Sam and I gave a wary eye to the Commander.  
"Hold on---disobeying? What did Admiral Kirkland say, ma'am?"  
"He said we were to return to Tribute and turn May and Mani over to them. But they don't understand! I told them everything, but they don't get it. We have to do this! When we go to Epsilon, we're on our own: no support of any kind."  
"Doesn't sound like too much out of the ordinary," Sam chuckled, "more like business as usual for Saber."  
That got a laugh out of me, but not from Versio. She looked guilty, seeing as though she sent us against suicidal odds with the Banished, but we were still standing. A couple of months ago, we were nothing but resources to the Commander. But now she saw we were more than that, and that fact was hard for her to deal with.  
"Right. Well, then this should be no trouble at all for the four of you."  
“Heh. Try to keep up, ma’am.”  
“Will do, 264.”


	4. Chapter 4

After spending an uneventful night at the resort, Versio woke everyone up at the crack of dawn and marshalled us to a docking port, where we met up with the Nomad. Everyone on board was grateful to see that we had made it, and that another Spartan --an old friend-- was joining us.  
Rex had received orders from the Admiral that we were to head back and hand over May and Mani, but he claimed to have ‘misheard’ them. He also rounded up more weapons: Commando rifles, Bulldog shotguns, and one M247 machine gun. He also tried arranging for some of his best troopers to join us, but we didn’t have the time. Things might’ve been easier if those soldiers were with us.  
Versio climbed right into the cockpit and made a direct course for Epsilon Halo, and in eight hours, we arrived.  
"Approaching Epsilon. ETA three minutes. Stealth drive is engaged."  
Fireteam Saber and Rex, May, Mani, Alexios, Lexi, and Liara, sat in the Nomad’s passenger corridor. A few hours ago, we regrouped with those who weren’t captured by Cerberus. Immediately after the away team boarded, the Nomad initiated a slipspace jump toward Epsilon Halo. During the trip, everyone prepped their gear: weapons, ammo, medi-gel, bio-foam, and rations. Alexios was fitted into the spare suit of armor, noting that he used the Warrior-class back when he was stationed on the Infinity.  
Lexi had made it known that she planned on going to the surface with us. Our medical officer had grown sick of being cooped up in the Nomad’s medbay and was ready for some fresh air. Lexi also made it clear that she knew how to shoot, seeing as she grew up on Omega and being part of the UNSC. In simple terms: she could handle herself.  
Rex paced up and down the corridor, giving everyone their assignments when we arrived at the ring’s surface.  
“Saber-2, I’ll need you to scout ahead and make sure we’re clear of any patrols or guard posts. Saber-3 will provide escort for May and Mani.”  
“ETA two minutes.”  
“Remember: nobody knows we’re here. Lethal force is only authorized in extreme cases. Am I understood?”  
In unison, even May, we replied with a quick and clean, “Sir, yes sir!”  
Liara, who sat next to me, trembled--unlike her.  
“You doing okay, Liara?”  
“Indeed,” she said, “you must understand that as an archeologist, a Halo ring is where I could spend hundreds of years studying knowledge that the Forerunners left behind and still barely scratch the surface!"  
“Just don’t go wandering off,” Lexi said firmly, “we’re not exactly going to be welcome guests here, and we don’t need anyone else getting captured.”  
Versio came on the PA system, "Exiting slipspace jump in 3-2-1. Jump success..."  
The whole ship lurched hard to the right. Rex fell on Paul, and everyone sitting on the left was thrown out of their seats. Before anyone could react to what happened, the Nomad quickly turned the other way, pushing everyone on the right onto the floor.  
"Commander," Rex yelled, "what are you doing?!"  
"Everyone hold on tight," she barked, "we just jumped in the middle of a full-on assault!"  
On screens in the corridor, Versio transmitted footage from the Nomad's hull. We couldn't believe what we were seeing: the turian fleet had been engaged by Covenant class cruisers, corvettes, blockade runners, and a behemoth Brigante carrier. Lines of plasma shot towards the turian ships as they, in turn, fired torpedoes. Seraphs and Banshees chased down the tusk-like Hierarchy fighters in intense dogfights. On the side of one of the Covenant cruisers, we all saw a symbol of a Sangheili skull adorned with glyphs.  
"Death Covenant," Paul muttered, "what are they doing here?"  
One turian cruiser took a broadside hit from a plasma torpedo and burst into a bright blue fireball. The force of the explosion made the destroyed vessel split in two. Versio banked left, avoiding crashing into a squadron of Banshees.  
"What do we do?" May cried out while scrambling back into her seat.  
"Buckle up," Sam replied, "and hold on!"  
We started pulling the safety belts over our waists, bracing ourselves for a turbulent descent.   
“Commander,” Rex called out, “do we continue with a stealth approach?”  
Versio snapped back, “I’m preoccupied at the moment, Captain!”  
“It might not be so bad to let the turians know we’re here after all,” I admitted.  
Versio pulled some gees doing a rough maneuver to prevent a stray round from hitting our broadside.  
“Whatever we decide to do,” Alexios said through clenched teeth, “we better do it now!”  
During those brief moments of dodging fire from both turians and Death Covenant, Versio disengaged the stealth systems and began broadcasting on an open channel.  
“Attention all turian forces around Installation-02: this is Commander Iden Versio of the UNSC Nomad. Can anybody hear me?”  
“What is she doing?” Paul said, taken aback by the Commander’s seemingly recklessness.  
"So much for stealth," Bryn growled.  
The Nomad dodged more incoming fire, and from the screens, we could see that a pair of turian fighters were following us. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.  
“Please tell me those pilots are on our side.”  
“Affirmative, 264,” Rex said, “look: they’re hanging back--giving us room to breathe. If they wanted to shoot us down, they’d have come in closer. Those flyboys are escorting us.”  
May couldn't look away from the horrifying yet majestic view of cruisers exchanging fire, a Covenant Seraph spinning out of control as it trailed smoke, a turian frigate being sliced in half by a plasma cannon. Lexi noticed this, and wrapped an arm over May's shoulders and started whispering reassuring thoughts.  
"We're a small ship. We've got a fighter escort. Versio’s an ace pilot. We'll be okay."  
The fighters banked to the left, and the Nomad started to follow. It didn’t take that long for hostile pilots to take notice of a ship being escorted. A pair of Death Covenant Seraphs intercepted the Nomad and started unleashing a volley of plasma. Versio did her best to perform evasive maneuvers, but she couldn’t shake them.  
“Saber-One! I need you to man the turret behind the cockpit and get these Covvies off us, or we’re not going far!”  
The Nomad had three pop-ups, anti-aircraft pulse gauss turrets that were used in desperate situations. Two were automated and located on the Nomad’s wings while the third lay directly behind the cockpit. The weapons officer would take that position, but since they were most likely hundreds of thousands of lightyears away, I’d have to do. At least in the gunner’s post, I felt like I could increase our chances of survival and reaching Epsilon in one piece.  
“On my way, Commander!”  
I quickly unbuckled myself from my seat and sprinted my way up to the cockpit. Versio was trying to get more support from the turians, but it didn't sound like she was making much progress.  
“Turret’s powered up, Spartan,” she called out to me, “I’m lowering the access ladder now. Give those Elites hell!”  
I wasted no time and climbed up to the turret controls. In front of me were to control sticks that would allow me to aim the guns and fire. A small screen linked to the hull cameras acted as the targeting system. I could see the two Seraphs that I needed to take down. Gripping the sticks, I began lining them up. Even with all the Nomad’s zig-zagging as it avoided getting fried, I was able to get a bead on one of the fighters and opened fire. The gauss guns glowed bright blue, and with teeth-rattling force, 25mm projectiles streaked towards the Covenant fighter and made a hard impact. The Seraph’s shields vanished in a second, and the gauss round pierced through its hull with little difficulty, causing the whole thing to disappear in a ball of flames and plasma. Versio shouted her praise.  
“Nice shooting, Spartan! Hit that other one!”  
I rotated the turret to hit the remaining Seraph, but it peeled off before getting a decent sightline.  
“He’s pulled out!”  
“Don’t be tricked! He’ll be back!”  
My head on a swivel, I searched high and low for the other fighter to make sure he didn’t get the drop on us. Fingers were on the trigger as I waited for the tear-dropped ship to show itself again. I found him over the port wing, but he had three more Seraphs with him and a Banshee squadron.  
“Weren’t those turians supposed to be covering us?”  
“Funny,” Versio replied, “that’s exactly what I was thinking!”  
The Seraphs and Banshees began to swarm--firing plasma bolts at the Nomad, and I returned fire from the turret. Every blast from the guns shook my bones as I picked off the fighters one by one. But for every Covvie I shot down, another took its place. The turret didn’t even make a dent in their numbers.  
“We’re popular today, that’s for sure!"  
"Keep firing, Spartan!"  
A plasma bomb from one of the Banshees slammed into the port side engine, rattling the whole vessel. I could see that the Nomad started to trail smoke and started listing.  
"Dammit, we've been hit! Nomad to Turian Wing Palsun--we need that covering fire NOW! We can't dodge these Seraphs forever!"  
Coming from 5 o'clock, turian fighters were coming in hot, on an intercept course. The ships moved directly behind the Seraphs. They opened fire, getting direct hits on Seraphs and Banshees, which disappeared in a puff of plasma and smoke. A Banshee tried pulling out, but its starboard wing was struck, causing the whole craft to spin out of control. The turians formed up behind the Nomad, giving us a proper escort. I overheard some of the chatter from the squadron.  
“Nomad, this is Palsun-Wing. We’ve got your back. We’ll lead you to the ring’s atmosphere, but then we have to help the fleet.”  
“Copy, Palsun-Wing. Appreciate the assist.”  
I climbed down from the turret, seeing no longer necessary for me to be up there, and took a seat at the weapon system station, which was to the left of Versio and the helm.  
"All clear, Commander."  
"Thanks, Spartan," she said, "that was some nice shooting back there.”  
“Where are the turians leading us?”  
“We're heading for a communications center crawling with a Skirmisher vanguard force. If they cut all comm chatter, the fleet and ground forces are going to get pummeled. A turian ranger is pinned down at the central control, and needs support."  
"And they're not at all mad that we're here?"  
"There's a UNSC science team here. They think we've come for them, and that's our cover story for now, but our priority should be clearing out those feathered freaks."  
T'vaoan, more commonly known as Skirmishers, were a subspecies of Kig-Yar that were more specialized in military operations because they were quick as hell and more robust than the other two subspecies. They had avian features that made them look more like birds than the more common Ruthtian species of Kig-Yar.  
Versio took a small, restrained gasp as she looked dead ahead.  
"Oh my..."  
I turned my head to see what had caught her almost full attention and froze in my seat. I gazed at the beauty of Installation-02. I find it hard to describe what it felt like looking at a Halo for the first time. Never before had I seen something so alien, yet so beautiful and majestic. The exterior was the signature Forerunner metal, but the interior had multiple blue variations with green patches. White wisps of clouds settled over the ring's interior. This was the best I can manage to describe it; I wish it were more specific and poetic.   
"That," Versio whispered, almost to herself, "is a wonder of the galaxy."  
We passed over Epsilon’s metal exterior, and the Nomad’s hull grew red hot as it entered the atmosphere.  
“We’ve entered Epsilon’s atmosphere,” Versio announced over the PA, “but we’re being deployed to a hot zone. Rex, take Sabers One, Three, and Sierra-218 and help the turians push back Skirmisher advance teams. Sabers Two, Four, T'Soni, and I will protect May and Mani."  
“Roger that, Commander. Saber Strike team going in.”  
I made my way back down to the aft corridor to see almost everyone getting prepped. Alexios did one last inspection of his revolver, spinning the chamber and locking it into place. Bryn gave him a soft ribbing.  
"You haven't forgotten how to shoot that thing, right?"  
Alexios spun the revolver in his hand, like a gunslinger in old Earth vids, "Never have and never will."  
"Cut the chatter, Spartans," Rex ordered "and prepare to fall out."  
May shook in her seat but put on a brave face for Mani and the rest of us. Lexi saw right through it and helped May to her feet.  
"Come on, let's get inside. We'll be safe while the others help the turians."  
Lexi escorted May and Mani back inside the Nomad as the airlock door opened, and the loading ramp extended down. A torrent of air rushed in, bringing in the scent of the sea...and plasma. A long pillar of smoke was visible on the horizon, coming from the comms station we were being sent to clear out. Rex started giving orders as we got closer to the objective. They were more like reminders about Skirmisher tactics. We had to make sure they didn't flank us, didn't get a bead on us from up high, and to keep them spread out.  
"Captain Rex, I'm bringing her in now. Prepare to disembark!"  
Rex drew his pistols, flipping off the safeties in one quick motion. Paul moved up to take the point, but Rex placed himself in front of him.  
"I'm always first, Spartan."  
The Nomad approached the station's docking bay, and wild bolts from plasma pistols struck the nose. The prowler shook as the docking clamps latched on, and Rex sprinted ahead.  
"Spartans -- weapons free!"


	5. Chapter 5

Communications Station Ima was nestled along a cliffside, overlooking the sea. Hundreds of meters below, waves crashed against the base of the cliff. Inside the docking bay, a swarm of Skirmishers were making a run for the Nomad. Two scurried up the loading ramp, but Rex put them down quickly as he charged.  
"Here, they come!"  
BR85 in hand, I quickly started scoring headshots as more Skirmishers moved in. I began to realize there were more --way more-- Skirmishers than reported. The communication center must’ve been a priority target for the Death Covenant.  
“There seems to be a lot more than a few advanced teams!”  
Bryn appeared on my right, firing her Bulldog shotgun into the incoming swarm. "It's an open friggin' season, you feathery bastards! Come and get it!"  
Rex slowly advanced, racking up a body count as he went. A needle round zipped right passed his head and impacted on the deck. I looked to see more coming down from above us, straight ahead.  
"Snipers," he shouted, "Up in the traffic control tower! Saber-Four -- clear them out!"  
Sam came out of the Nomad, grenade launcher in hand. Lining up his shot to account for the grenade arc, Sam knelt on one knee to have more stability. With a loud *thunk*, the grenade soared through the bay, smashed right through the tower's window, and detonated. A fireball engulfed the snipers in an explosion that blew out the windows, sending glass shards falling like snow.  
"Move up," Rex shouted, "take them out! 218, watch the right!"  
Bryn and I moved forward, taking cover behind a shipping container and laying down cover fire so that Alexios and Rex could move up.  
"Been a while since we've taken on squawkers," I said to Bryn while popping a new magazine into my rifle.  
"I didn't miss them," she replied, "not at this range, anyway."  
Popping out of cover, Bryn and I slotted the remaining Skirmishers on the left just as Alexios killed the final one by swiping a blade through its throat. Rex pushed on ahead to the door that led inside the station.  
"Commander, this is Rex. Docking bay is secured, and we're moving further into the station."  
"Solid copy, Captain. New orders: there's a turian ranger named Selinus pinned down at the central control hub. He's protecting a UNSC science team -- rescue him and those eggheads and escort them back to the Nomad."  
"Wilco, Rex out. Everyone, pop some fresh mags in and get ready for another round of squawkers."  
After a quick reload, we entered the comm station's entrance and descended a deactivated escalator.  
"Remind me again what's so special about turian rangers," Alexios said.  
"They have jet boots," I answered, "and that's pretty much it."  
After we reached the end of the escalator, an unfamiliar, elderly voice came over the radio, which grabbed our attention.  
"This is Dr. Shep Watterson, UNSC xeno-archeology to Spartan team. Can you hear me?"  
"How the hell did he get our comm frequency?" Alexios grunted.  
Rex turned to me, ignoring Alexios, and said, "Ask him how many of his team we're evacuating."  
"Dr. Watterson, this is Spartan-264. We read you and are on our way to your location. How many people do you have with you?"  
Over the other end, there were the distinctive sounds of a turian assault rifle and a UNSC M6G Magnum firing as Dr. Watterson spoke.  
"There are three other scientists, and our escort, Jackeus Selinus. We're running out of breathing room -- the Skirmishers keep coming. I don't know how long we can last. Please hurry!"  
"Acknowledged."  
We went through a corridor that had been through heavy fighting. The bodies of turians and skirmishers were sprawled out everywhere, and some were still alive.  
One squawker clawed weakly at Rex, making choking, guttural sounds as it slowly bled out. He stomped down hard on its avian neck, crushing the windpipe with ease. The skirmisher went limp, and we continued towards the central control.  
"Let's pick up the pace," Rex urged, "those scientists don't have much time."  
Alexios stiffened up and raised his revolver, "Incoming!"  
A whole flock of Skirmishers came running right towards us, some hopping on the halls. Without so much as a word, I raised my battle rifle, aiming for the ones who were wall running. Bolts of green plasma, bullets, and needle rounds filled the corridor.  
"Hey, Alexios," Bryn called out, "what's your kill count right now?"  
Alexios fired off two shots from his revolver before answering, "13! How about you?"  
"15!"  
"Both of you," Rex barked, "focus on the battle!"  
"We gotta get out of this hallway," I added, "it's a kill zone!"  
Bryn shot a leg off of one of the Skirmishers and yelled, “For them!”  
As more squawkers came in, the four of us went to work. As a single unit, we moved through the corridor, meeting resistance the whole way, but all of us were in sync with one another. Rex on point, Bryn focused on the right, me, and Alexios covering the left. The Skirmishers came at us as hard as they could, trying to get behind us and divide our fire. Rex, however, wasn’t giving them the opportunity. With those magnums, he was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.  
After fighting our way through a horde of Skirmishers, we made it to the end of the passageway and entered a common area. Much like the hall outside, it had been devastated by the first wave of the attack. There were multiple doors, each one leading to a different section of the station. One had the word "Central Control," and we barged in. As we got closer and closer, the sound of plasma fire, a UNSC magnum, and Skirmishers speaking broken English.  
"Kill hu-mans!"  
"Slay turian!"  
Ahead was a closed door, and Rex waved me forward.  
"264, breach it!"  
"Yessir!"  
I sprinted ahead, and with a quick burst from my thrusters, I rammed a shoulder into the steel plate door, and it came crashing down. Rolling forward, I knelt on one knee while the rest caught up.  
The central control was a semi-circular room with consoles along the walls. At the far end was a walled-off office, where Dr. Watterson, the ranger, and others were. A squad of Skirmishers had taken cover behind desks and tables, but from where I was, they were completely exposed. They barely had enough time to turn around before we shot them to pieces. As the last one fell to the ground, Rex called out, "Clear?"  
"Clear," I responded.  
He nodded, then turned toward the office.  
"Dr. Watterson? I'm Captain Rex of the Nomad. The room is secured."  
The office door slowly opened, and out came the ranger, having his rifle pointed towards the floor and clad in sleek armor, thermal clips strung across his chest in a bandolier, and bright yellow face paint. He let out a sigh of relief, "Thank the Spirits. We wouldn't have lasted much longer."  
A hunched over, olive-skinned, older man wearing a UNSC lab coat stepped out. The badge on his jacket read 'S. Watterson'. A tired laugh came out of him as he said, "Captain, thank you for coming so quickly. Did those feathered devils give you much trouble?"  
"Not really," Rex replied, "is your team okay? Any wounded?"  
"No, no, we're all fine."  
From behind, a taller man in his mid-40's, bearing a strong resemblance to Dr. Watterson, stepped out, wielding the magnum I heard over the radio. On his lab coat was 'K. Watterson.' Another scientist, a woman who looked to be in her late-30's, followed him closely. On her jacket was 'M. Watterson.' Finally, a younger woman, who couldn't have been more than twenty-one, peeked out from the doorway.  
"Are there any more civilians?" Alexios asked the older Dr. Watterson.  
He turned around and shook his head, "No, that's our youngest member, and my granddaughter, Lizabeth."  
Lizabeth stepped out and was wearing the same outfit as the others, and stitched above the breast pocket was ‘L. Watterson.’  
The elder placed a hand on the second man’s shoulders, “This is my son, Kyle, and over there is his wife, Meredith.”  
“Thank you for saving our lives,” Meredith said.  
“Don’t celebrate so soon,” the ranger replied, “We still got T'vaoan in here.”  
“Actually,” Bryn piped up, “we took care of them. Should be all clear to the docking bay.”  
The ranger let out a dry snicker, “It takes more than four humans to kill an entire battalion of T'vaoan. Not even the troopers on-site could hold them off."  
"Well, maybe that's because your people didn't fight them for almost three decades," Bryn sniped, "and during that time, all your people did was watch us bleed and die!"  
"Bryn," I snapped, "that's enough!"  
It was true, however. When the Covenant-War began, the UNSC had no support from the turians, salarians, asari, or even the Systems Alliance. Only the quarians, the only species that understood what we were going through since they had experienced a mass genocide, helped. In those bloody years, the UNSC and quarians knew how to fight Covenant races effectively.  
Rex shifted focus away from past wars and prejudices, "So I take it, you're Selinus?"  
"Ranger Jackeus Selinus," he confirmed, "9th Division. I’m the Wattersons’ escort on this ring."  
"Commander Versio to Rex. Scans show incoming turian dropships approaching to secure the station. Nice work, Saber Strike. Grab the science team and get back to the Nomad." "Understood. Everyone, fall out."


	6. Chapter 6

With the Wattersons recovered, Saber Strike made it back to the Nomad without running into more Skirmishers. We had wiped out a large chunk of their numbers, and the few who didn't engage us had fled. They were most likely still inside the station, but were more concerned about surviving than fighting. Which was strange, because I heard the Death Covenant fought to the last soldier. It was more likely that these Skirmishers were mercenaries.  
The carnage we left behind stunned the ranger, Selinus. It was clear he didn't believe in the combat prowess of humanity, but as Selinus looked at the bodies, he slowly but surely changed his mind. Turians had always believed they were the superior military force in the galaxy, but once the Spartans started rolling out and the Swords of Sanghelios joined the Citadel as allies, that was open for debate. The turians had always been the military arm for the Citadel, but with all the recent changes, their status was in doubt. There were even rumors circulating that Elites would start becoming the Council's bodyguards, as some had proven their worth as C-Sec officers.  
"You Spartans are precise, I'll give you that," Selinus admitted.  
Shep looked down at the bodies, nodding in approval. Yet, his body language told me that he didn't feel too safe around us. His shoulders were tightened, and he seemed to make an effort at not looking at us. Rex moved in beside him and tried talking to him.  
“Is there something on your mind, Dr. Watterson?”  
“Actually, yes there is, Captain Rex. I’m relieved a team was created so quickly to evacuate us...but it’s also what’s worrying me. You got here almost too fast.”  
He turned to Rex and added, “Who sent you? ONI? Admiral Osman?”  
“No one sent us,” Rex stated clearly, “in fact we’re technically AWOL, but it’s for the right reasons.”  
“It must be one hell of a reason.”  
We rounded one of the ends of the hallway, and found the escalator. We were almost back to the Nomad. As we climbed the steps, Lizabeth asked, “So, why are you here?”  
“What if I told you we have an ancient species created long ago stowed aboard our ship?”  
The family of scientists slowed their pace. I was half expecting them to start laughing and questioning if Rex had been hit on the head. But there were other examples of ancient beings coming back to life: the Flood, the Prometheans, the Didact, and the Reapers. Maybe it wasn’t too far fetched to say that yet another piece of history had returned from being lost.  
“Describe this species,” Kyle said.  
“Small, blue, has a red gem on its chest. Two antennae...”  
“Manaphy,” Lizabeth blurted, “a manaphy?!”  
"You know about it?" Bryn asked.  
The young doctor nodded, "Yes! There are ruins about twenty-five kilometers south of our position. It has information about a structure we haven't been able to locate."  
Rex spun around, facing Lizabeth.  
"The Archive?"  
"If you take us there," Meredith said, "we can show you what we found."  
Selinus shook his head, "Absolutely not! That area is for authorized personnel only!"  
Meredith gave the turian ranger a smirk, "We're authorized, Jackeus."  
"Yes, but only when I'm with you. Besides, there were reports of Death Covenant landing at different zones. What if they're at the ruins right now?"  
"Then we'll deal with them," I stated, "you've seen what we can do."  
Shep nodded, "And I'm more than sure Olymnus will allow it. If not, well then I'll handle him."  
Selinus let out a defeated sigh as we reached the top of the escalator. Ahead was Paul and Sam, guarding the doorway. They saw us coming, and lowered their weapons. When we passed them, the two Spartans fell in behind and followed us all the way up the Nomad's ramp. Once the last person ascended the ramp, Rex got on the radio.  
"Commander, you might want to talk to the science team. They say they know a place that has info on the Archive."


	7. Chapter 7

Versio met the Wattersons as they walked in through the door and sat at the mess, standing in her combat gear and having her ODST helmet in one arm. She had her steely, no nonse expression that seemed to be her default emotion.  
May, Mani, and the asari were keeping out of sight for now, but Mani would be seen at some point. I was still unsure if it was a good idea to show them Mani. The Watterson family seemed loyal enough, but I'd make sure to keep a close eye on them.  
"I'm Commander Iden Versio," she said to the scientists, "you know Captain Rex, and the Spartans are Fireteam Saber. Spartans 264, 400, 344, and 602."  
Shep placed a hand on his chest, "Commander, we thank you for saving our lives. I'm Dr. Shep Watterson, and this is my son, Dr. Kyle Watterson, his wife, and daughter, who are also part of my team."  
"That's pretty strange, a whole family as a team, especially a young girl.”  
The old man and his granddaughter laughed.  
"Maybe, but it does have its benefits. I’m able to see my Lizabeth here become the next Dr. Halsey!”  
“Grandpa,” she laughed, “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”   
"Mana," came a muffled voice from the bunk room, "Mana-mana-mana!"  
Versio slowly closed her eyes -- the dramatic reveal of Mani having been ruined.  
“What was that?” Lizabeth asked, craning her head to see what had made that noise.  
“That,” Versio said, “was the manaphy. We’ve been calling them ‘Mani’ for sometime now. They’re only a few months old, but Mani can sense Forerunner technology."  
Versio raised her voice and hollered, "May! Front and center."  
A few silent seconds passed before May replied, "Do I bring out...uh, you know who?"  
"Yes, bring Mani."  
"Okay...and should Liara..."  
"Sure. Not sure why she isn't out here already."  
The door hissed open, and out came Liara and May with Mani on her hip. The Watterson family all stood up in their seats, small gasps were uttered, and Meredith stepped towards May to get a closer look. On instinct, my finger went for the trigger, but I stopped myself before I could actually do anything. However, it didn't go unnoticed, as Rex gave me an ‘easy-there-lad’ kind of look.  
"What a little darling," Meredith cooed.  
Lizabeth moved next to her mother, and a small smile formed on her lips.  
Mani tilted their head, not sure what to make of the two humans in front of them. They had grown out of the terrible shyness when they were first born, but they weren't openly trustful yet.  
"Mana?"  
Lizabeth then noticed May, and was surprised to see how close they were, age wise. Lizabeth did a respectful head bow, which was strange.  
"Hi there! I'm Lizabeth. What's your name?"  
"...May. I'm May."  
"Nice to meet you, May."  
Versio and Liara turned their full attention to Shep.  
"Tell us about these ruins."  
Shep sat back down in his chair, letting out a tired groan, an effect of his old age, and cleared his throat.  
"They differ from the other structures on Epsilon. It isn't made of metal -- not entirely. Like on Installation 05, there are uses of bricks and stones in its outer construction."  
"And what will we find?"  
"What you've been seeking, I'd guess. I'll give you the coordinates and you can fly us there."  
Versio slipped her helmet on, "Actually, we have a problem. We took some fire on approach, and one of the engines failed. A repair drone is working on it, but for now..."  
"We're stuck," Sam muttered.  
Shep blew out a puff of air, then shrugged his shoulders.  
"Guess we're going to have to drive there. We have two warthogs and an RV/our home that we use to get around the islands. They're parked near the main entrance in the garage."  
"Whoa-whoa-whoa," Selinus interrupted, "that's a no-go. Have you forgotten that there are still Death Covenant to worry about? If a phantom or banshee spots us, we're as good as dead."  
I hated to admit it, but the ranger had a good point. Warthogs, unless equipped with heavy munitions, had little effectiveness against a phantom. We might've been armed to the teeth, but we didn't have much to take down a dropship. But at the moment, it seemed to be the only way to get to the site. Which begged another question: how important was it to see these ruins? Important enough to risk all of our lives for?  
"How many can your mobile home hold?" I asked.  
"Just about all of us, but I would feel safer if we had one of the warthogs scout ahead."  
In an instant, Versio went to work, giving orders to all of the Nomad crew. This was still her operation, and she needed to be the one to call the shots.  
"Saber Three -- I want you in that hog. Saber Four and Sierra 218 -- start prepping arms and ammunition for transportation. Saber One and Two, start helping T'Soni."  
May walked up to her, a tiny bit eager and asked, "What can I do to help, Commander?"  
One corner of Versio's lip curled upward, and she pointed back towards the medbay.  
"Start helping Dr. T'Perro load medical supplies for transport. We might need them."  
Versio then shot off a half-salute, "On the double, trooper."  
May returned it, or did the best she could while holding Mani, and went off.


	8. Chapter 8

The turian reinforcements sent out an all clear, and Dr. Shep Watterson managed to get a com-link to General Olymnus, the head of all ring-side based military units. He told the general about his idea bringing us to the ruins, and asked if he could have dropships to take us there. Olymnus denied the request for multiple reasons. For one, there were confirmed sightings of a Lich in the area. Two, he wanted all his forces ready in case more Death Covenant dropships appeared, meaning that if Watterson took us to those ruins and ran into trouble, the general wouldn't lift a finger to help. Dr Watterson took that into note, and we still left.  
The Watterson 'RV' was nothing more than a trailer attached to a heavily modified Spade truck that could only fit a few of us in it. With all the ammo crates, bio-foam, rations, and research technology, it was standing room only for me, Paul, and Liara. Versio and Rex rode up in the front with Dr. Shep Watterson and Lexi. Alexios and Sam took one of the other warthogs, following close. Bryn drove the scout hog, with Dr. Watterson's son riding shotgun. On one of the bunk beds in the trailer, Meredith bounced Mani on her knee. May sat next to her, having a worried grin on her lips. Her 'mama' instincts were running high, wanting to reach out and take Mani back so they wouldn't get hurt. She gripped the sheets tight, fighting her maternal instincts as she watched a stranger play with her baby. Mani sensed that anxiety, and started reaching for her.  
“Mama-mama!”  
Meredith gently placed Mani back into May’s laps, and there was visible relief.  
“Still getting used to being a mommy?” She asked with a knowing smile. It was hard to believe that she was Lizabeth's mother. In fact, as we were loading supplies, May made the comment that Meredith looked young enough to be Lizabeth's sister. Meredith was so flattered with the compliment that she accidentally smacked May to the ground.  
“I shouldn’t be,” May shyly responded, “but it’s just that when you think you got a handle on it...”  
“It throws you a curveball,” Meredith finished.  
“Exactly! I guess I’m lucky though, because I’ve got a support system with me."  
Lizabeth, who laid on the top bunk, looked at Paul and me, "The Spartans? They're your support?"  
May nodded and proudly said, "Absolutely! They watch over Mani whenever I need a nap or some me-time."  
Lizabeth put her hands on her cheeks, "Aww. Spartan babysitters!"  
Selinus, who sat on an ammo crate stared back at us. His arms folded, body tense, making unwavering eye contact. He didn't like us, and the feeling was mutual. Something about him rubbed me the wrong way. Just as long as he kept his distance, there shouldn't have been trouble.  
The trailer turned slightly, and then everything became bumpier.  
"Ah, we're in the gorge," Meredith said, "we'll be safe from air patrols, now."  
"I thought we were heading to the ruins," Liara reminded us.  
Selinus, who had been quiet since we left, dryly said, "We are, but this gorge we're driving through has tree cover, making us harder for hostile aircraft to spot us. The only downside is that it'll take a day longer."  
Paul pushed off from the wall he was leaning on, "I'm all for stealth approaches, but I doubt the Commander is going to like it."  
"She, and all of you, must understand that this ring isn't under UNSC jurisdiction. It's under the Hierarchy's control, and as such, I was asked by General Olymnus to act as an advisor, and thus I'm in command here."  
"Jackie," Lizabeth said, annoyed, "come on. I'm sure Commander Versio isn't going to do anything rash. You don't need to be acting like a jerk."  
If that ranger thought we'd be taking orders from him, he would've had less sense than a grunt with a low methane tank.  
"Ranger Selinus," Liara politely said, "I've been working alongside Commander Versio, Captain Rex, and Fireteam Saber for several months now. You can take my word for it when I say these aren't the type of soldiers you can just assume command over. In addition, the Joint Species Task Act Section 0193 clearly prohibits any military personnel from assuming control over citizens of a different government if the military from said citizen's origin is present. Since May is a civilian, and is clearly in the presence of UNSC armed forces, you can not legally order her around."  
Selinus stood dumbfounded, barely working up the anger to growl, "And who the hell do you think you are?"  
"Someone you don't want to mess with."  
After a short but tense staredown, the turian backed off, scoffing at us and looked away. Liara looked calm for threatening a turian spec-operative. I gave Liara a discreet thumbs up, and she responded with a small head bow.

We drove through the narrow gorge, moving slowly but surely. Liara talked with the other archeologists about their work, trading notes and theories about the Forerunner society. The subject then transferred to talking about excavation stories, including how Liara got mixed up with the SSV-Normandy and Commander Shepard. Meredith then asked the rest of us if we had any good stories. Paul told everyone how he earned the name 'Sniper of New Harmony,' tale, which I've heard more times than I'd like. Everyone else, including Selinus, gave Paul their full attention until he was done. They hung onto every single word, and when he finished, he got a round of applause.  
"And to think," May said astonished, "I've been travelling with a war hero all this time!"  
The trailer slowed down, and my first reaction was that there was trouble--possibly an ambush. Paul grabbed his rifle, but Meredith laughed.  
"Calm down, Spartans. We're at one of our campsites."


	9. Chapter 9

“Hold on,” I said, placing a hand on the door, “what do you mean, ‘campsite?’”  
“Camping isn’t something we have time for,” Liara added.  
“We’ll be caught in the open,” Paul stated.  
Lizabeth stepped down from the top bunk, ignoring our warnings and began to unload some gear. She exited through another door, located where the trailer and the Spade were attached. Selinus, who seemed to know about the plan to stop at the camp, started helping Lizabeth.  
“Please,” Meredith asked, “everyone calm down. The gorge we’re in is a labyrinth of stone, one that can’t be navigated through easily."  
"Tell that to the hinge-heads when they find us," I muttered.  
"If you're worried about being spotted from the air, don't be. Like I said before, the trees reach high up into the air, not to mention it’s nearly impossible to fly through it. The only way they'll find us is if we were followed by any vehicles, which we weren’t. Now, help me unload; we're spending the night here."  
Without giving us a chance to ask more questions, Meredith picked up a box of gear and exited out the door I previously had my hand on.  
"Can't tell if she's naive," Paul said quietly, "or experienced."  
Liara picked up one of the crates, "Well, either way, looks like we're here for the night."  
I opened one of the weapons crates and pulled out a Commando rifle, quickly placing it on the magnetic holster on my back. I was about to close the case when a reflective shine stopped me. I peered down and noticed the hilt of an energy sword--no--my sword. The one I pried off from the shipmaster aboard the corvette, the one with an orange and teal glow. I was tempted to activate it, but if I did, there'd be a new hole in the trailer. With little thought, I held it over the magnetic holster on my leg and it snapped into place. Without much of a word, I exited out of the trailer, and began backtracking to make sure we didn't leave behind a trail that hostile scouts or trackers could use to zero in on our location.  
The camp was by a gently flowing river, the water clear as polished glass with a school of river fish riding the currents. The canyon walls were topped with a thick canopy of coniferous trees that almost blocked out the ring's sun. It was already getting dark.  
Sam and Alexios' warthog pulled up next to me, the two Spartans hopping out in an instant.  
"What's going on?" Sam asked.  
"The Wattersons decided we're spending the night here." I answered, slightly annoyed.  
Alexios shook his head in disdain.  
"We got to keep moving before the Hinge-Heads beat us to those ruins."  
"Well, you try convincing them. Paul and I have already tried talking to the mom, but she's not having any of it. Versio might be able to talk, or ram, some sense into them."  
Sam pointed a finger towards the trailer.  
"Don't be so sure about that. Look."  
I craned my head to see the Versio helping Dr. Watterson set up what appeared to be a grill. And behind her, Rex was making his way to the river holding large buckets.  
"I don't believe this." I growled, balling up my fists.  
Alexios looked back at the way we came, pacing back and forth between a small area of dirt. He knelt down to examine it closer and after a few moments he nodded, then pushed himself back to a standing position.  
"Well, the good news is we aren't leaving tracks."  
"Good. Now come on, let’s talk to Versio about this.”  
Alexios, Sam, and I started to head back to the others, though I made an effort to show how bitter I was about spending the night here. I walked up to Commander Versio and started to state my objections, well in the ear shot of Dr. Watterson.  
"Ma'am, I..."  
"Save it, Spartan!" Versio snapped, not as gung-ho about packing it in for the night as I thought.  
"I don't like being stuck here either, but Watterson won't have it any other way. Without him and the rest of his family, we might as well head back to the Nomad. Get a watch going; it’ll make me feel better.”  
I faced Sam, jerking my head in the direction of the rear Warthog. He nodded, trodding off with his weapon unholstered.  
"Come get me when it's time for s'mores." Sam said over the TEAMCOM, which got a laugh from Bryn.  
Watterson rose to his feet, letting out a tired groan as he went, and looked at me.  
"Look, I know you're concerned, but we're deep inside the canyon. And I'm keeping an ear on the Death Covenant's movements--I'm patched into the Turian's battlenet, thanks to Jackeus. If there's any mention of enemy movement near our position, we'll be gone in a flash."


	10. Chapter 10

That night, I sent out the rest of Saber, which now included Alexios until further notice, to secure a perimeter and to report any sign of Covenant movement. I even stood guard over the camp for the night. By dawn, Versio pulled everyone back so we could get an hour or so of sleep. But Paul didn't leave his post, claiming he would remain until the convoy was ready to move out.  
Sitting on top of the trailer, I examined the reflective hilt of my energy sword, trying to make sense of the glyphs inscribed onto it. This blade was unique--never saw anything like it during the war. Squeezing down on pressure pads, the sword activated the glowing cyan and orange energy intermingling with one another. This weapon must’ve been custom made, either by the shipmaster I killed or a master craftsman. There was no way I’d let a fine blade like this out of my sight again. Another squeeze from my fingers and the two-pronged sword winked out of existence.  
Near the river, everyone but the Spartans was seated on a table bench and ate a quick breakfast of bacon, toast, and eggs. Versio and Rex sat rigidly, barely touching their meals and not paying attention to the conversation. May was carefully feeding Mani bits and pieces of toast while talking with the two Watterson women. It was nice to see her talking with civilians, people with who she had more connection. Lexi and Liara listened to technical stuff Watterson Sr was yammering about. Whatever it was about, the two Asari were hanging on his every word.  
But Selinus? He sat at the end of the table, staring intently at May with a disapproving look in his eye. Something about the way he was looking at her made me wary of him. Versio, who sat next to May, noticed the Turian and gave him a death glare. She regarded May as one of her people now, and she wouldn't allow a tight-assed Turian to cause trouble.  
The other three Spartans were leaning against the vehicles, eager to get moving again. As the meal began to come to a close, I sent a message to Paul.  
"Saber-1 to Saber-2, we're getting ready to roll out. Start making your way back."  
"Wilco. En route." Paul replied tiredly. The minute he got back into the trailer, he'd be passed out.  
I hopped down from the roof and went to help pack up some of the cooking supplies.  
"Saber-2 to Saber-1! Hostile movement spotted! Repeat, hostile movement heading towards our position! How copy?"  
Every Spartan present stood up firmly.  
"Understood --- get yourself back here."  
"How big is the Death Covenant force?" Sam asked.  
"Not Death Covenant. Cerberus. I count two dropships, a Hammerhead, and three APCs.”  
Hammerhead hover-tanks were easy to take out, due to their light armor, but they were also fast. One good hit with an SPNKR would make it crumble. It was the two shuttles that posed the greatest risk, either more elite shock troops or a mounted gun emplacement to mow everyone but May and Mani down.  
“Anything worth knowing about the dropships?”  
“They’re equipped with Batarian Harpoon Launchers. Don't know what they're planning to do with those but it can't be good. ETA to our location: fifteen minutes. Recommend getting everyone out now."  
“Then you better start moving it, Paul,” I ordered.  
“Wait--a Phantom’s flying in formation with the shuttles!”  
Alexios spat a curse in a language I didn’t understand.  
“It’s Shatter and Dropkick! They’ve been trying to broker an alliance with Koha’Tahom since the Sidney-III incident. I didn’t think the crazy witch would be able to pull it off! Shatter must’ve told them about Mani in exchange for more cannon fodder.”  
I should've been surprised, seeing as the last encounter ended with having their cruiser atomized. I thought for sure Shatter and Dropkick were dead. But they had more than enough time to get in a life pod and reach a safe distance. Despite this, I rolled with the punch.  
I sprinted to Versio, who helped load up some sleeping bags.  
"Ma'am, Saber-2 has spotted incoming Cerberus with Death Covenant with them."  
She dropped the sleeping bags and reached for the assault rifle on her back. This got the attention of everyone else. Rex and Liara drew their pistols, scanning the sky.  
“How close are they?”  
“Enough to be concerned.”  
Versio made eye-contact with Alexios and started bellowing out orders.  
“Sierra-218! Get in the rear Hog and pick up Saber-2! Everyone else, get in your vehicles! Move-move-move!”  
There was some confusion among the civilians, who looked to each other, uncertain what was happening. On the other hand, Rex and Lexi sprinted towards the Spade truck, Bryn made for the lead Warthog, and Alexios went to the rear.  
“We’ve got Cerberus incoming! Quit standing there like idiots and move it!”  
Everyone started bolting towards the vehicles they rode in on. I stood by one of the trailer’s doors counting who entered: Lizabeth, Meredith, Selinus, Sam, Liara, and finally May and Mani. Once they scrambled inside, I hopped aboard just as Dr. Watterson started to accelerate. Alexios made a 180 turn in his warthog and sped towards Paul’s last known location. Slamming the door shut, Sam and I quickly started to unpack the heavy ordnance.  
“What’s going on?” May asked, her voice slightly raised.  
“Paul spotted Cerberus vehicles heading our way,” Sam answered as he loaded the double tubes into the rocket launcher. “The alarming thing is that a Death Covenant Phantom is flying with them.”  
“WHAT?!”  
I threw a bandolier of railgun slugs over my shoulders, loading another slug into the weapon itself. Sam and I couldn’t fire while we were inside the trailer. Sam looked around for a sunroof or something that would allow us to get up on top.  
“Is there a way up to the roof?” I calmly asked.  
“If you open the front exit,” Meredith said, “you can use the hitch to boost yourself up!”  
Sam opened the door, placing a foot on where the trailer and Spade connected, then in one great leap, he hurled upward. Pounding thuds sounded from up top, indicating he made it. He lowered one of his hands, offering me some help. I firmly grasped it, and he pulled me up.  
"Boss," Bryn said over TEAMCOM, "I'm patching in Versio and Rex to our channel."  
Having Rex and Versio on the TEAMCOM would make communication easier and save time by not explaining everything. Normally, TEAMCOM was reserved for the fireteam only, but this was an exception.  
“Good thinking, Bryn.”  
Two static clicks went off, and right away, Versio started asking for details about the Cerberus/Covenant force. After I mentioned the Batarian Harpoons, she went straight into asking Dr. Watterson how far away the ruins were.  
“At least 30 more kilometers,” he said, “this route was longer, but I thought it’d be safer.”  
"Wouldn't have been a problem if we kept going like the rest of us were saying," Versio replied through gritted teeth, knowing she would verbally eviscerate the egghead once we were out of harm's way.  
"I know, Commander. Can your Spartans hold off Cerberus for that long?"  
"They'll do what they can, but I suggest you start flooring it, Watterson."  
The trailer started to pick up speed, and the walls of the canyon grew further and further apart, leaving more room for Cerberus to pull up next to us.  
"2 and 5, I need a status report."  
Bursts from their Warthog’s M41 Vulcan came over the channel, as well as explosions.  
"Saber-5 here, we're taking fire from the Hammerhead! Shuttles have passed us and are heading your way!"  
"Copy, Alexios," I replied, "Sam and I will handle them."  
Right as I finished saying that, one of the Kodiak shuttles flew fast and low, closing the gap rapidly. On the front of it, near the cockpit, hung the harpoons. The Batarians used them to stop fleeing vehicles and haul them back to their slave camps. Cerberus would try to use that same tactic on us.   
"Waste it!" I shouted, raising the railgun up. Sam dropped to one knee and waited for a heartbeat before firing the first rocket. The projectile impacted on the cockpit, causing it to vanish in a flash of flame. What remained of the dropship slammed into the ground, throwing dust and rock into the air as the remains tumbled and cartwheeled.  
"Keep an eye out for the other one," I said, scanning the sky while doing so. I barely caught a glimpse before the trailer rocked to one side as two harpoons drove themselves in. Hanging above us was the second dropship, coming in lower and lower. It hung so close, that if either Sam or I tried destroying it, the wreckage would bring the trailer, and everyone inside, along for the ride.   
“Spartans--cut those cables before that ship pulls us off the road!” Rex barked, firing one of his sidearms at the cockpit. Liara joined him, peppering the hull with a submachine gun. Sam looked at me, drawing his combat knife.  
"I've got this," I said, switching between the railgun and the Energy Sword. I moved to the first cable, severing it with one downward slash and causing the Cerberus ship to be unbalanced. The trailer bucked, making Sam and I lose our footing for an instant. With a hasty strike, I cut the second cable and prevented us from being hauled away. The shuttle bumped hard into the RV, throwing Sam off of the roof. He grabbed one of the sides as he fell, squeezing it so tight that he bent the metal. I went to help him up, but the shuttle had other ideas. The pilot flew in close once again, but this time opened the troop bay, revealing twelve Rampart-class mechs, each one activating their omni-blade attachment.  
“Oh, come on!”  
A ball of dark energy appeared in the middle of the group, and the mechs started to lift up. Liara had scrambled up to the top of the trailer and used a biotic singularity, lifting a majority of the mechs into the air. Some were tossed into the wind, breaking themselves apart on the rocks of the canyon walls, while others were picked off by Rex, who had moved to the bed of the truck. Meanwhile, I grabbed Sam’s shoulder and hoisted him back up. Remarkably, he still had the SPNKR clutched in his hand. The shuttle, having lost the Ramparts, closed the door to the troop bay, but still followed closely. Sam, with one rocket left, knelt down once again to fire. The rocket punctured the side of the dropship, detonating in the interior and creating a violent explosion. The shockwave made the trailer swerve for a moment, almost crashing into a pile of rocks.  
“Woo-hoo!” Sam hollered. “That’s how we do it, people!”  
"How about next time you don't fire too close," Rex cautioned. "You could've smashed the trailer!"  
“Understood, sir.”


	11. Chapter 11

I maneuvered my way back into the trailer to check on everyone and make sure nobody was hurt. When I opened the door, I found them to be unharmed.  
"Everyone doing okay?"  
"Just fine," Meredith replied calmly.  
"Good here," Lizabeth added.  
May shrugged her shoulders, being used to gunfire and explosions by now.  
"Could be worse," she giggled. "We could be back on a Cerberus ship!"  
I placed two fingers on one end of my visor and swiped it to the other. May tilted her head, looking somewhat quizzical. Right--I hadn't told her what that meant to Spartans. Back in boot camp, Lieutenant Commander Ambrose taught the Spartan-IIIs how to convey a smile while wearing our helmets.  
I repeated the sign a little slower, "This is a Spartan signal. When you see one of us do this, we're happy."  
Mani mimicked me, swiping one of their flippers across their face repeatedly and giving a big smile.  
"Happy! Happy!"  
"That's right," I said, doing it a final time while looking at Mani.  
“Any word on the other Spartans?” Selinus asked, out of the blue. “The sniper and the one with the revolver, what’s their status?”  
“They’re doing fine,” I assured him. “Remember--Spartans never die.”  
“Is that supposed to be a metaphor, or can you really not be killed in battle?”  
“Guess you’ll have to find out.”  
"Saber-5 to Versio! Two Ghosts heading your way! They brushed past us. Be advised they’ve been modified to carry an additional passenger.”  
From Alexios’ report, it appeared to be that the Ghosts’ passengers would try to hop onto the RV, fight their way through us and snatch Mani. They wouldn’t try to light us up until after they’d have their prize. The only type of Elites who were worthy enough to recover anything Forerunner related were Zealots, and they were one the more difficult ones to kill. I made my way back outside, hopping up to the roof to stop them.  
“Acknowledged, Saber-5,” Versio replied. “Status on the other vehicles?”  
“Killed the driver of one APC. The other two and Hammerhead are still operational. We’re giving them as much hell as we can.”  
Liara and Sam knelt at the back end of the trailer, keeping their weapons up for the Ghosts. Rex had moved up top as well, keeping his eyes starboard. He was covering the Zealots’ possible boarding spot, waiting to take them out. Thing was, Zealot armor had one of the highest shield strengths in the galaxy. I took a knee beside Rex, ready to help him out.  
“We might be dealing with Zealots,” I said to the others. “Try to down those Ghosts before they get too close.”  
As Sam loaded a new tube into the SPNKR, a volley of plasma bolts struck his armor. He scrambled away from the edge, back to the center of the trailer, just before his shields went down. Liara began firing short controlled bursts, biotic energy collecting around her arms as she readied another biotic attack. At the last moment, she took one step backward, narrowly escaping from being beheaded as an energy sword made a horizontal slash where her neck was just half a second ago. A four-digit hand grabbed the edge of the trailer, and then rose an Elite encased in maroon armor. Rex immediately aimed his pistols at the Zealot and began firing. The first rounds simply bounced off of the Elite, making his shields slightly shimmer. However, the Zealot wasn't focused on us. Once he was on top of the RV, he stabbed his sword straight into the roof and began trying to slice his way in. Mani was his only objective.  
"Oh no, you don't!" Sam roared, gripping his SPNKR like a club, and swung it as hard as he could. The launcher struck the Zealot in the shoulder, and an audible crack was heard--the bone-shattering underneath. The Zealot let out a pained howl but was cut short as Liara threw the Elite like a ragdoll off the RV with her biotics.  
"One down," Liara said proudly. "One to go!"  
“Nice work, T’Soni,” Rex praised. “You’re pretty skilled for an archeologist.”  
“I’ve had my fair share of combat experience.”  
Sam fired off a rocket from the launcher, and a blue ball of flame appeared from behind. He gave a thumbs-up: Ghost had been smoked.  
Rex looked forward, stiffened, then dropped to the deck, covering his head.  
"Tunnel!"  
The rest of us craned our heads to see a fast approach hole in the rock with a low-hanging ceiling. Throwing ourselves down to the roof, we barely escaped getting turned into bloody stains on the rocks.  
"A heads up would've been nice, Bryn!" I growled, laying on my belly as we moved through the dark with barely an inch between me and the rocky ceiling.  
“The egghead I’m driving with is giving me directions,” she shot back. “He’s got a plan to lose these jack-wads!”  
Once we cleared the tunnel, everyone on the roof practically hopped back to their feet to get ready for the second Ghost. I looked over the right side and didn't see any sign of it.  
"Look out!" Liara exclaimed.  
The Ghost came out of nowhere, instantly at the flank of the trailer. Another Zealot drew his sword, and hurled himself off the Ghost, stabbing his blade into the RV. I heard a high-pitched scream from May as the Elite sliced one of the walls open. I grabbed the custom energy weapon from my hip and activated it, then dropped to a knee so I would be able to reach the hinge-head. Before I could stab him in the neck, the Zealot took a swing at me with his energy sword, nearly blinding me. I made a wild back at him and made contact with his neck, but the ugly bastard turned his attention back on the people inside. I spotted the barrel end of Selinus’ rifle and it discharged at full-auto, riddling his chest full of holes. The Zealot could barely hang onto the trailer, purple blood trickling down from the holes in his armor. He made a pitiful attempt to continue slicing his way in, but he was too weak to make it any further. I drove a powerful kick right into the hinge-head’s throat, sending him reeling back and smacking into the earth. His body tumbled and pinwheeled as we got farther and farther away while Sam destroyed the second Ghost with little effort.  
“Rex, that trailer’s just about had it,” Versio stated. “Get everyone on the Spade and as much ammunition as you can.”


	12. Chapter 12

I knelt on the Spade’s truck bed as I watched Lizabeth carefully walk from the trailer to the Spade as we continued speeding down the canyon. She splayed her arms out to help keep her balance like a tightrope walker, effortlessly making her way across on the hitch.  
The trailer had suffered damage and with several holes inside it, there was air flowing in, creating drag and slowing us down. If too much entered, then the trailer would break apart. We first moved as much ammo as we could into several tactical backpacks, full of spare railgun slugs, grenades, and bio-foam, as well as additional weapons. Sam lugged the M247 on his back, and as for my pack, I had a Commando Rifle strapped to the side. We had to make the unfortunate choice of leaving behind crates of explosives, mainly rockets and the launcher, as well as some blast wire.  
Crossing from the RV would be the hard part for May, the Watterson women, and Selinus: one wrong step, and they were done for. Lizabeth volunteered to go first, not wanting to wait around on the RV a second longer.  
Lizabeth was just a few more steps from crossing until the Spade hit a bump, making her lose her balance. Before she fell, I leaned out and grabbed her forearm, then set her down next to me.  
"Thanks, Spartan!" Lizabeth said, then made her way to a seat. Up next to make the crossing was May, but she wasn't at all thrilled with the idea. Her legs were visibly shaking, clutching Mani tight in a wrap across her chest. Rex was right behind her, telling her that it would be okay.  
"Come on, May!" I shouted, waving her forward. "It's do or die!"  
Timidly, she took a couple of steps towards me and got to the halfway point, but began to lose her balance.   
"Help me!" She cried out, becoming more unbalanced as she panicked. I sprang forward, hooked my arm around her waist, and brought her to the truck bed.  
"Joe...” she said speechlessly. “Thank you, I...”  
“You’re welcome, now get to a seat. We can’t afford to lose you.”  
She scurried to a vacant seat right next to Lexi, who then started looking over her to see if she’d been hurt.  
Meredith brushed past me and climbed in the Spade, having quickly crossed the hitch. Liara made the trek without much trouble, and Rex practically ran over it. Selinus didn't use the hitch at all; he leaped over the gap with his jet boots. The last one still in the trailer was Sam, who was taking his time.  
"Sam," I barked. "What's the hold-up? Get yourself over here, now!"  
"I'm rigging up the rest of the explosives to detonate," he replied. "That'll give us some distance between Cerberus and the Covies."  
With an explosion, that would most likely get Cerberus and the Death Covenant off our tail. The only problem was that the Phantom was still in play and would still follow us.   
"Paul, are you able to take down that Phantom?"  
"Negative," he responded. "Not with all the other hostiles on our six! Assuming Sam's plan works, then I could give it a black eye."  
"It'll work," Sam assured. "I know my demolitions. Let me know when you've passed it!"  
“Wilco.”  
Sam stepped out from the trailer then ran across the hitch with perfect balance, a detonator in his left hand. Once everyone was across, I disconnected the two vehicles. As the Spade drove away, the trailer’s momentum carried it a few feet forward before crashing into the cliffside. Before it moved out of view, the rear Warthog was catching up, with the remaining hostile ground forces close behind.  
"Now," Alexios hollered. "Blow it, now!"  
The side of the cliff where the trailer had crashed disappeared in a cloud of smoke and fire, bringing the rest of the rock wall tumbling down and onto the APCs and Hammerhead. Sam stood amazed at his work, and whispered, "Holy shit...that worked better than I thought it would. What's that raise my kill count for today?"  
Alexios began honking the Hog's horn wildly, whooping into the radio ecstatically.  
"Sam, you lovely S-O-B! I'm sorry for ever doubting you!”  
“Impressive work, Spartan,” Versio complimented. "Saber 5, form up on the Spade. Let's get to those ruins."

The rest of the trip was met with an uneasy peace. Everyone kept their eyes sharp for any hostile movement, but not even the Phantom showed itself. That didn't stop any of us from keeping our heads on a swivel.  
The Spade crossed a stone bridge, coming to a halt in front of the Forerunner ruins. In contrast to the ones we've encountered in the past, the ruins were made of stone, with moss seeping through some of the cracks. The building itself reminded me of an ancient temple, with some unusual hallowed vibes.  
Versio hopped out of the Spade, MA5B at the ready with Rex at her flank.  
"Form up," she bellowed urgently. "We need to get in and get out as fast as we can."  
Dr. Watterson Sr. climbed out of the driver's seat and waved a hand towards the back of the vehicle.  
"Take everything you can," he said. "We won't be coming out this way."  
I pointed back in the direction we came, "If we leave the vehicles here, that'll let Cerberus know we're inside."  
"Trust me; they won't be able to catch up with us inside."  
"Forgive me if I don't necessarily trust your word right now."  
The old man smirked, "Then let me earn your trust."  
Alexios and Paul grabbed the remaining packs and threw them over their shoulders. Lexi kept May close to her, like a mother hen.  
The temple-like building's entrance was a gaping hole, not easy to make a defensible position from but there wasn't much time to gaze at the architecture. Everyone was focused and alert, even Liara, who would've been bouncing from pure delight, kept it under control. Once we got inside, there was a long, spiraling staircase that looked like it went down to the bowels of the ring itself. As we descended, it grew darker to the point we relied on the helmet lights from Bryn, who took point. At the bottom was a Forerunner metal door, which appeared to be locked. Lizabeth walked up to it, and a three-layered circular projection appeared. Liara squeezed by to get a better look as Lizabeth placed her hand on the projection, turning the top layer clockwise, the middle counter, and pressed the center. The projection vanished, and the door slid open.  
“Incredible,” whispered Liara.  
“Quickly now,” urged Kyle, “get inside and keep going straight until you reach a river.”


End file.
